Recovering from surgery isn’t the kind of experience that Warren’s Javerion Banks envisioned for his senior season.
But that was foisted on the 6-foot-1 guard anyway after a bone cyst was found on his left femur in the fall.
“It was crazy, but I got through it,” Banks said. “I was in a pretty dark place because it was my senior year and I thought originally I might be out for the whole season. It took time, but I kept telling myself that you have to trust the process.”
Sidelined for about six weeks, Banks returned to action Jan. 24 and has been making up for lost time, giving the Blue Devils a significant jolt as they try to ride their fully restored nucleus all the way downstate.
“Even though I’m so glad to be back, I try to stay composed and keep my cool, not getting too hyped up,” he said.
Banks was all of those things and more on Tuesday, scoring a team-high 16 points and playing disruptive defense during second-seeded Warren’s 61-49 win against top-seeded DeKalb in the Class 4A Waukegan Sectional semifinals.
Sophomore guard Jaxson Davis added 13 points for the Blue Devils (24-10), who will play top-seeded North Suburban Conference rival Waukegan or second-seeded Rockford Guilford in the sectional championship game at 7 p.m. Friday.
Banks looked every bit like the player he had been before surgery, when he earned all-conference honors as a junior and turned heads over the summer.
“Obviously, it hurt not having him, and it showed,” Warren coach Zack Ryan said. “We struggled without him. We missed his punch, the athleticism he gives us, the added scoring. Getting him back has been really good for us, and I’m happy for him.”
Although Banks estimates he’s playing at 95% of peak performance, he looked top-notch against DeKalb (26-7). He flashed in a variety of ways, showcasing long-range shooting, slashes through the lane and nonstop activity that sometimes made it seem like he was playing at a different speed from everyone else.
The Blue Devils needed that from him. Trailing by as many as eight points in the first quarter, they cut DeKalb’s lead to 26-22 by halftime. Then midway through the third quarter, Banks was responsible for what may have been the game’s most influential turn, making back-to-back steals and converting both into layups.
Banks’ flurry not only flipped a 33-31 deficit into a 35-33 lead but got the crowd roaring and illustrated how valuable Banks can be on the defensive end.
“It just happened, and it was a big energy booster,” he said. “Energy and defense are what I think I’m best at, and offense can be a dab on top of it.”
Banks’ dab of offense began with a 3-pointer after DeKalb had taken a 13-5 lead. He hit his second 3-pointer at the beginning of the fourth quarter and drove for a layup on Warren’s next possession. Banks’ last basket, an aggressive move through the lane for another clutch layup, answered two quick 3-pointers by DeKalb that had trimmed Warren’s lead to 51-47 with 3 ½ minutes left.
“He can turn the game around, like when he got those steals in passing lanes,” Ryan said. “He gives us energy, senior toughness and that senior urgency that kids get this time of year when they don’t want it to be done.”
It may not be done for a while if Banks continues to play at such a high level. Even though he has been coming off the bench since his return, Banks is averaging 12.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
“I completely understand,” Banks said of his sixth-man role. “Obviously, they see something in keeping me in that position. It definitely is a different mentality, but all I want to do is help us win.”
That’s music to the ears of Banks’ teammates.
“Now he’s having a big-time impact on the team, partly because he’s crazy athletic,” Davis said. “His defensive antics lead to offensive energy. When we have him rolling and all the guys on the same page, we’re tough to beat. All he wants to do is win, and I love playing with players like that.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
